A Common Origin
by Novagon
Summary: After receiving the best Christmas gift ever, Fox and Krystal leave the Lylat System to start a new life together. But nothing could have prepared them for what they are about to find... Fox X Krystal, Samus X Rundas
1. Chapter 1: Christmas Gift from above

Fox McCloud sat alone in his house. It felt extremely painful to be spending Christmas himself. He knew his friends would be busy as usual; Falco Lombardi would likely be with his girlfriend Katt Monroe, while Slippy Toad would be with his dad Beltino. Fox wished he had someone to be with him…

Times had been rough for Fox since the Star Fox team had disbanded. Star Fox had been established to keep peace and balance in the Lylat galaxy. Krystal, Fox's former girlfriend, had left the team to join Star Fox's rival team, Star Wolf. Star Wolf was headed by Wolf O'Donnell, Fox's rival, and also consisted of Leon Powalski and Panther Caroso.

Despite begging Krystal to stay, she ended up leaving anyway. After a few months, Fox could only hope that his former teammate was content with the life she had chosen. He knew he wasn't content with his…

If James and Vixy McCloud, Fox's parents, hadn't been killed, Fox knew he would want to be with them right now. It was James's death that triggered Fox to lead the team his father had established. A former teammate, Pigma Dengar, had betrayed Star Fox and left for Star Wolf due to his greed.

Peppy Hare, another old Star Fox member, normally would have spent some time with Fox over the holidays. However, his daughter, Lucy, still had to be taken care of. A lot had happened during recent times, and Fox could sometimes regret he had ever led the Star Fox team…

At times, Fox felt it had only caused him suffering, grief, and depression. And whenever he happened to be in a fairly happy mood, he considered the fact he had saved many lives in the wars he fought against the forces of evil. But in the end, he was still sitting in that chair, in an empty house…

One of the things that had hit hard after the end of Star Fox was finding a way to make money. Slippy and his father opened an auto-repair shop, while Falco fulfilled odd jobs such as being a bounty hunter. Fox also tried to find odd jobs, but ended up only making just enough to put food on the table and have shelter. Right now, he had a room for rent available at his house in an attempt to make more money. Unfortunately, no one had stayed yet.

However, Fox was happy knowing most of his former teammates had found good lives after Star Fox's end. Typically, Fox tried to be as selfless as he could.

Fox was medium-height, wore a white jacket around his green shirt, also had green pants, red boots, and had emerald eyes. Krystal had once called him the most handsome creature she had ever seen, but Fox didn't like to boast about anything, and Krystal had since abandoned him.

Fox gazed out the nearest window, watching snow fall from the sky onto the street. He recently moved deeper into the city, so he could still observe some pedestrians on the road. In a few hours, it would be Christmas; Fox figured he should go to sleep soon, and figure out a new way to make money.

Suddenly, he saw a slender, hooded figure moving towards his house. It rang the doorbell to Fox's house, shivering in the meanwhile; it became very cold on Planet Corneria during the winter. Fox ran over to open the door and greet his guest.

"I'm here for the room for rent," the figure explained.

The voice appeared to be female. It seemed somewhat distinctly familiar to Fox…

"Of course; right this way…" Fox began.

Suddenly, the figure gasped, and pulled her hood off. Fox was stunned to see Krystal!

"Fox!" Krystal yelled, throwing her arms around him.

"Krystal!" Fox returned the greeting and hug, still confused.

Krystal continued, "I'm so sorry Fox; please forgive me!"

Fox remembered the last time he saw her, she left to join Star Wolf. He frowned when he looked at her again, but would never want to hold on to the past.

"You're forgiven…" Fox began. "But I don't understand – what brings you here?"

Krystal was the same height as Fox, and currently wore a pink-and-white bodysuit underneath her brown cloak (typically, she wore blue). Her eyes were green as well, mirroring Fox's.

"I should explain that," Krystal agreed. "I regretted joining Star Wolf the moment I did, Fox. It's just that I thought you didn't love me anymore… After a while, I just couldn't stay with them. Terrible rumors about me spread, and all the Star Wolf members were jerks-no, they were monsters! I can't believe I even considered going with them. Eventually, I decided to leave, and returned to Planet Corneria. I needed a place to stay. I never thought I could earn your forgiveness…"

Fox hugged Krystal closely, never before feeling so passionate. She cried for awhile in his arms, but eventually stopped to face him again.

"It's okay, Krystal," Fox assured her. "You can stay with me as long as you want. I want you to feel at home."

After a moment of silence, Krystal spoke next. "So how have you been?"

Fox turned to her. "Horrible without you. You have no idea how much it means to me that you came back…"

Krystal suddenly took Fox's head and began to kiss him passionately on the lips. Fox returned the affection, and the two began to lie down on a nearby couch. After a while, Fox was the first to break it up.

"I love you, Fox," Krystal admitted, brushing her body against Fox's.

The two wrapped their arms around each other, happy to be reunited. For a while, they just lied down together, content they had each other again. Finally, Fox spoke next.

"The room is free if you like," he said, grinning at his mate.

Krystal returned the smile. "Fortunately, I was able to swipe some cash from Wolf. You look like you might need some…"

Fox put a hand to Krystal's head, feeling her cold cheek. "You don't need to give me anything. You've already made me happier than I've ever been."

Krystal kissed him on the cheek, and Fox began to get up.

"Where are you going?" Krystal asked with a smile.

"Getting the sheets!" Fox replied, halfway up the stairs.

After a minute, Fox returned with a large, dark blanket. As he came near the couch, Krystal grabbed one end of the blanket and threw the rest around her and Fox. Once the two were under the covers together on the couch, Krystal began to shut her eyes and purr next to Fox.

"I'm here to stay this time, Fox," Krystal announced, rubbing her head against Fox's chest.

"I wouldn't want it any other way," Fox answered, getting closer to Krystal.

Fox felt so jubilant, he hardly recognized himself.

Fox and Krystal hugged close, kissing once more before drifting to sleep. They smiled together, happier than ever. This had gone from the worst to the best Christmas Fox and Krystal had ever had.

* * *

A few days later, Peppy Hare walked up to Fox's front door. Peppy knew Fox was depressed about Krystal's betrayal and thought he could use company. He knocked on the door, but receiving no answer, tried the knob and found the door to be unlocked.

Stepping inside, Peppy called out "Fox?" No answer. Looking around, Peppy was greeted by a completely empty hall. Books, furniture, electrical appliances, you name it, it was gone. "Fox?" Peppy called out again. Still no answer. Deciding to come back later, Peppy turned around and left the house, but spotted a sign on Fox's front lawn.

As Peppy approached the sign, he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose so he could read it.

"FOR SALE"


	2. Chapter 2: Escape from Elysia

"Lady, I suggest relocating immediately. The Federation is quickly closing on your position." Adam warned in his electronic monotone. The AI had long been advising Samus, ever since her fall-out with the Galactic Federation years ago. "Lady, they are just outside this room."

Samus sighed inside her Power Suit, quickly getting annoyed with the AI. "Adam... I know." She was on Elysia, a planet she had saved from Phazon Corruption long ago, when she still worked with the Federation. The floating city-factories of the planet had been rebuilt, but some areas were left alone - such as the storage room she was currently in.

"Aran, the data can wait. If need be, I can archive what you have downloaded and attempt to finish it remotely - but you must leave." Adam insisted, his voice more urgent.

Hesitating for a moment, Samus finally stepped away from the console, closing the Scan link. "Fine, Adam. I need the quickest way to the ship, ASAP." The route lit up on her map before she finished the sentence, and the armored Hunter quickly ran through the nearest door.

The instant the door closed, grey-armored Federation troopers burst through the other door. "Find her. Shoot on sight - you all know how deadly she is. Go!" the commander of the squad shouted, glaring through his helmet's visor at Samus' escape route. "Command, we're going to need backup."

Samus skidded to a stop at the edge of one of Elysia's many bridges connecting the floating structure around the planet. "Adam... where's my ship?" she asked calmly, turning to face the door she had just emerged from. Her suit's arm cannon hummed to life, the Power Beam already charging.

"On it's way, Lady - it is rather difficult piloting a ship while keeping both you and it off of Federation radar." the AI replied evenly. "And interfering with door mechanisms so they can't get through!"

The Hunter chuckled, a rare event for her.

The first trooper to walk through the door was taken down with a charged Beam shot to the side, knocking him off of the bridge to his doom. The next was hit as well, but managed to get three shots off while Samus charged up her beam again. The first missed, but the second two splashed against the Hunter's visor, blinding her for a moment.

"Adam! The ship?" she grunted, switching to Missile ammunition.

"Your gunship should be arriving... now." Adam replied. Just as he said, the unmistakable orange gunship flew out from the clouds behind them, Power Beam turrets trained on the Federation troopers.

Samus fired off a single missile at the door before turning and jumping onto the ship. The rocket speared through one trooper before detonating, breaking the bridge's connection to the building and letting it fall through the clouds below. "A little close, Adam - but thanks." she muttered, shaking her head as the hatch below her opened and she sank into the ship.

Sitting down in the pilot's seat, Samus activated the thrusters and took off into Elysia's atmosphere. As she pulled free of the gravitational pull into space, A beep drew Samus's attention to the radar. A large ship was passing by. It was a large elegant ship that was white and had a large red animal painted on the side, from this range though she could not make out the drawing.


	3. Chapter 3: Docking

The Great Fox soared through space, passing planets right and left. Fox and Krystal sat in the bridge, in each other's arms. It felt so good to be together again. A sudden beeping sound went off on the Great Fox's transmitter, indicating a message of a nearby ship. Fox and Krystal walked over to the Holonet monitor and Fox opened the channel.

The hologram was of a slender armored figure. The figure's armor was blue with several yellow spots, with the entire lower abdomen being yellow. The helmet was red with a tripointed visor. In place of a right arm was a green energy cannon.

"Greetings, bogey." Fox said to the armored figure. "Please Identify yourself." The armored figure gave an old-fashioned military salute, and spoke in a feminine voice. "My name is Samus Aran. I am a former bounty hunter from the Galactic Federation." "Galactic Federation?" Fox wondered aloud. Fox turned to Krystal, who nodded and reached out to Samus's mind with her telepathy.

_Samus lived with her parents on the planet K-2L, a human colony in the Galactic Federation domain. When Samus was three years old, K-2L was attacked by a band of Space Pirates lead by the brutal ruffian known as Ridley. When the Space Pirates left and the smoke cleared, a single figure remained standing. It was Samus Aran, the sole survivor of the attack on K-2L._

_Samus was rescued from the charred ruins of K-2L by the Chozo, a race of beings who resemble giant birds. They had received the colony's distress signal during the attack and came to assist. The Chozo took Samus back to their homeworld, Zebes._

_Being a highly technologically advanced race, the Chozo crafted a power suit for Samus that gave her incredible strength. They trained her to become a fearsome warrior. Once her training was complete, Samus parted ways with the Chozo and became an intergalactic bounty hunter._

_Samus carried out countless missions. Many that other bounty hunters deemed impossible. She became the most famed and capable bounty hunter in the universe, yet she was not fulfilled. Samus didn't become a bounty hunter to achieve fortune or fame. Her purpose was to avenge the death of her parents by slaying Ridley and the rest of the Space Pirates._

_Having traveled to planet SR388 to destroy the powerful and menacing alien species known as Metroids, Samus battled the ferocious Metroid Queen, and rid the galaxy of their threat. One last baby Metroid remained, which Samus took with her, seeing peaceful scientific applications of Metroid biology. Before those experiments could come to fruition the science station was attacked, and the baby fell into the hands of the Space Pirates, led by Mother Brain._

_Samus infiltrated Mother Brain's stronghold on planet Zebes to rescue the baby Metroid. Taken down in battle by Mother Brain's power, Samus was unexpectedly restored to health by the baby Metroid. Furious, Mother Brain destroyed the baby, only to be defeated by a newly vigorous Samus-with extraordinary powers given by the Metroid. At last, Mother Brain, the Space Pirates, and the Metroid species were obliterated once and for all... along with the entire planet of Zebes._

_As time passed, so did the memory of Metroids and Space Pirates from the collective consciousness. SR388 was now free of Metroids, and so the Galactic Federation decided to send in a research party to investigate the planet. Due to her previous experience with the planet and its inhabitants, Samus was hired to serve as a guide to the researchers, to collect samples of life for the Biologic Space Laboratories research station. The researchers and Samus arrived on the planet, and when they were trying to capture a Hornoad, a mysterious organism injected itself inside Samus. Thinking nothing of it, the team continued on their mission. After their search was completed and the team returned to their ships, the parasite, which had infested Samus' central nervous system, caused her to fall unconscious. Though her gunship crashed into an Asteroid belt, Samus was safely ejected from the ship and her escape pod was retrieved by the BSL. She was far from safe, however, as the parasites (which would later be named X) continued to spread throughout her body._

_The X had infected such large portions of Samus' Power Suit that large portions of it had to be surgically removed, drastically altering its physical appearance. She was initially given a less than 1% chance of survival, but very fortunately the scientists discovered a cure: Metroids. The Metroids were discovered to have been created by the Chozo in order to control the X. With this knowledge in mind, the scientists used a culture of Metroid cells extracted from the Baby to make a vaccine. The vaccine was an astonishing success; the X were completely purged from Samus' body, curing her completely. The vaccine had some unexpected side effects however. Now that she was immune to the X, Samus could absorb them to regain energy and Missiles. She also gained the Metroid's trademark weakness to cold. More than just her biology changed, however; the surgical removal of parts of her Power Suit had left her with a radically different appearance: the new Fusion Suit. Fortunately, however, her suitless appearance remained unaltered by the operation._

_Despite her recent illness, Samus was not given furlough by the Federation. She was immediately issued a new Gunship with an onboard computer to serve as an aide. This computer's personality reminded her heavily of her former Commanding Officer and so, with irony noted, she chose to name it Adam in his memory. Samus was then sent to the BSL research station where the last batch of creatures from SR388 and the infected parts of her Power Suit were sent. She was to investigate an unexplained explosion in the Quarantine Bay. To her great surprise, she discovered that the X Parasite within her Suit had taken on her form, and it had become the SA-X (short for Samus Aran-X). It was responsible for the breach of Quarantine Bay, and as a result, the X ran amok throughout the station. All the researchers aboard the station were dead, and it was up to Samus to contain this breach. The X and the SA-X made many attempts to kill her, but Samus was always able to outsmart them, even in her weakened state._

_Eventually, Samus's missions through the BSL brought her to the Restricted Lab. After acquiring the Wave Beam, Samus was able to bypass the security door and enter inside. Inside the lab, Samus made a surprising discovery: the Galactic Federation were cloning Metroids. Before she could investigate further, she found the SA-X had followed her inside the lab and was releasing the Metroids so it could attack them. The Metroids soon overpowered it, but the SA-X's breakout had set off the lab's self-destruct failsafes. Samus managed to escape, but the lab broke away from the rest of the station and exploded, destroying the Metroids and the SA-X together._

_When Samus spoke again to Adam, he was very angry with her for meddling in top-secret Federation research. Adam also informed her that the Federation was very interested in his extensive research on the X and viewed it as a wonderful organism with a variety of uses. Several Federation officials were coming to the BSL in hopes of capturing the X and SA-X (due to asexual reproduction, there were now no fewer than ten SA-X aboard the station) for military purposes. Samus vocally disapproved, insisting that the Federation were underestimating the threat that the X posed, and resolved to activate the ship's self-destruct to destroy the X, and herself if necessary._

_Adam was aware of this, though, and thus locked all the doors. Samus reacted with outrage when she discovered what it had done and angrily yelled, "Don't let them do this! Can't you see what will happen, Adam?" The computer was confused at this response, as Samus had never disclosed her personal nickname for it. It asked for an explanation as to who this Adam was. Samus only told him that Adam was a friend who understood when sacrifices had to be made. From this, the computer was able to correctly deduce that Adam had given up his life to save Samus. However, it disregarded this, since Samus was incorrectly assuming that destroying the station would defeat the X for good, and curtly decided: "When Adam chose who would live, he chose the wrong person."_

_Suddenly, something unusual began happening. The computer began adopting the persona of the former Adam. It unlocked the doors and told Samus that her instructions were to head to the Navigation Deck and change the station's orbit so that it would crash into SR388, so that when it self-destructed, the planet too would be caught in the field. Refreshed with a new spirit, Samus headed to the Navigation Deck, but the SA-X burst in once more with murder on its mind. Endowed with her new weapons, Samus managed to defeat the clone, continuing fearlessly even when it mutated into a massive beast and then into a Core-X. Eventually, the SA-X was reduced once more to a lowly X, but before Samus could absorb it, it eluded her and escaped into the ventilation system. Disappointed and tired, but still determined, Samus continued her way up the Navigation Deck until she reached the terminal that controlled the station's orbit. Samus altered its orbit and set off the self-destruct, then proceeded to return to the Docking Bay. When she arrived, though, her ship was nowhere to be found, and she was suddenly ambushed by an Omega Metroid, the evolved form of a Metroid that had escaped the Restricted Lab before its destruction. The creature defeated her in a single blow, but just before it could kill her, the SA-X appeared and began attacking the Metroid with its Ice Beam. The Omega Metroid recovered in time and attacked the SA-X, giving Samus enough time to absorb her doppelganger. Endowed with her Ice Beam once more, Samus made short work of the Omega Metroid. Shortly after killing it, her ship then returned to the station to save her. Samus flew away just before BSL, and SR388, exploded together._

After a few minutes, Krystal recoiled in shock, only for Fox to catch her. "Fox, she's been subject to terrible things brought by this Galactic Federation, and now they are hunting her." Fox nodded and turned back to the Hologram of Samus. "Opening the docking bay now, come in."

The shield around the docking bay lowered, allowing Samus to fly into it and land within. "Are you sure about these people, Lady?" Adam asked Samus. "I have no choice at this point, Adam. But they offered to help me, and what do I have to lose?" Samus replied, unplugging Adam from her ship's Harddrive and plugging him into her suit.

Stepping down from her ship's platform, Samus walked over to the exit from the docking bay as Fox and Krystal came to meet her.


	4. Chapter 4: Confrontation

As Samus entered the bridge of the Great Fox, Krystal briefed Fox on everything she had seen in Samus's mind. Fox was quite impressed with everything the Bounty Hunter had accomplished in her life. He thought she would have made a great addition to the team if it hadn't broken up. Samus walked over to the two former pilots, and re-introduced herself and her AI, Adam.

The transmitter once again blared to life. As Fox answered it, A hologram of a broad, obese man in a uniform appeared. "Identify yourself, bogey. You are in Galactic Federation airspace." Fox gave a military salute before introducing himself. "I am Fox McCloud, captain of the Great Fox." The large man sported a slightly confused look on his face, but continued. "By way of a tracking device, we are aware that you are sheltering Bounty Hunter Samus Aran. I wish to speak to her and her alone, Captain McCloud."

Fox nodded and beckoned Samus to come over.

"It's best if you just get it over with." Krystal whispered to Samus.

Samus grimaced. Time to face her fate.

The multi-chinned face of Jonathan Daltus, a prominent (speaking in terms of both political power and the size of his enormous stomach) Federation executive, appeared on the ship's holo screen. His fat lips were curled in a most unpleasant frown, his beady eyes blinking repeatedly as he stared at Samus.

"We at Federation Command are very disappointed in you, Hunter Aran. You disobeyed a direct order, destroyed Federation property, and wiped out a planet. Think of the discoveries that you have denied the Federation's people…" The man's voice was practically dripping with feigned sorrow.

"I am sorry, Chancellor Daltus," Samus began with a grimace, "I respect your fair and noble ambitions, but I made a judgement that, given hindsight, now seems wrong to me as well. I was sure that the entirely competent Federation security forces would have been able to handle the SA-X. I should have trusted you more."

Both Samus and Adam were aware that the entirety of what Samus had just said was complete bullshit, and it had almost made her vomit all over her visor to say it. She had been able to keep a straight voice, but not a straight face… it was lucky she was wearing a helmet.

"Samus…" Daltus continued, "I'm sure you have your regrets, and I feel for you…" Samus nearly vomited again. She was not the only one spewing hot gas. She doubted that Daltus could feel for his own mother. "However, the others at Federation Command have ruled that you are to be punished. You will be exiled from Federation territory, and if you return, you shall be fired upon. Adam…." Daltus now spoke to the computer. "We have been informed of your role as well. You are to accompany Samus on her exile. Samus, you may keep the ship… consider it a parting gift."

Daltus's face dissapeared from the monitor.

Samus sighed. Another enemy. Things were going to be very interesting from now on.

The Great Fox fired its thrusters and lazily curved off course, heading out of Federation territory and off to the shadier, mor distant part of the known galaxy, the Dasha system.


	5. Chapter 5: Planet Aether

Fox and Krystal both sighed. Since Samus came aboard, they had practically no alone-time as they had intended. They did not wish to return to their old lives back in the Lylat System, and due to Samus's presence aboard the Great Fox, they would not be able to enter Federation controlled space either. The bridge suddenly began to shake. Fox ran up to the monitor to see the cause of the disorder, followed by Krystal and Samus. A Galactic Federation ship was firing at them!

"WARNING!" ROB 64 beeped. "Shields losing power!"

"Dammit… We'll have to land somewhere and work it out… But where? Half the galaxy is trying to kill us."

"I can't think of anywhere… I mean, I've destroyed most of the planets you've come across… Wait."

"What?"

"We're relatively close to the Dasha system. We could land on Aether." Adam spoke from within Samus's suit.

"Aether? … That works. Fox, plot a course to these co-ordinates."

"Sure thing, Samus."

Fox entered the co-ordinates and fired the engine of the ship as fast as it could go. The Federation ship was much larger than the Great Fox, but it was also much slower, and could not keep up with it.

When the Mobile Base of Team Star Fox phased back into existance above the planet of Aether, Samus didn't recognize the planet at first. Since her battle with the Ing, the Luminoth had made efforts to return the planet to the splendor of what it once was. It seemed their efforts had been successful.

The dark cloudy haze that once covered Aether was gone- the skies were clear, allowing Samus to see the beautiful planet below. The expanse that had once been the Agon Wastes was a vast, green plain. Emerald forests and shining teal oceans stretched across much of the planet. As the ship descended, Samus begun to make out the clusters of brilliant light that marked the Luminoth's major city, and at the center the luminescent and crystalline structure that was the Sanctuary Fortress, newly restored and refitted to serve the Luminoth once more.

It was here that Samus resolved to make her landing. Opening a comm channel, she spoke to the Luminoth space traffic controllers.

"This is Samus Aran, hailing the Luminoth. I have company with me, and together we seek your shelter for a short time."

A Luminoth face appeared on the holoscreen. "Greetings, Honored Samus." They had, in a way, accepted her as part of their race. "I am Y-bre. You seek refuge? We welcome you to our fortress. Please make use of the landing platform to the rear of the fortress on the 15th level. We are transferring the entry instructions to your ship's computer now."

"Affirmative" ROB 64 replied, taking the ship's controls and Placing the Great Fox into orbit over Aether, activating the ship's cloaking shield. The three left for the Docking Bay and entered Samus's Violet Gunship. As Fox and Krystal strapped themselves into the rear passenger seats, Samus placed her left hand on the main control touchscreen, activating the ship. Y-bre's voice came through the Ship's comlink. "Alright… Please, begin your approach. May the Light of Aether guide your landing."

The Luminoth's face disappeared from Samus's holoscreen as Adam took over piloting based on the charts he had been sent. He guided the ship toward a small point in the peak of the fortress, coming to a rest inside on a large, well-lit landing pad. As Samus stepped out of the ship followed by Fox and Krystal, a cadre of Luminoth warriors strode out to greet them. Dressed in ceremonial battle attire, the group looked very impressive, and considering that Fox and Krystal had never seen a Luminoth before, this was saying something.

"Greetings, Honored Samus," intoned the foremost Luminoth. His manner of carrying himself and the tone of his voice led Samus to believe he was the group leader. "I am Guardian V-Syl, leader of Luminoth Cadre Ten. These are my brave warriors." V-Syl gestured to the group behind him. "This is N-Kul, my trusted assistant." The Luminoth on the far right nodded at Samus. He looked very young for a Luminoth; he was somewhat smaller in stature then the other warriors.

"N-Kul?" Samus was curious. "Related to A-Kul?"

"Yes." N-Kul's tone was somewhat sad. Samus immediately knew why.

"These are R-Bel and Q-Cas, expert warriors, and M-Osk, my technician." The three Luminoth bowed respectfully.

"Honored to meet you, Samus," the one called Q-Cas said. "Who are your companions?" He gestured to Fox and Krystal.

"I'm Fox McCloud, and this is Krystal." Fox answered, beating Samus to the punch.

"Such strange thought patterns" Krystal thought to herself, quietly examining Q-Cas's mind as the Luminoth proceeded to greet her and Fox.

V-Syl cleared his throat, putting a stop to the clamor of his subordinants. "Anyhow, Honored Samus… Controller Y-Bre tells us you need our protection. Being followed, are you?"

"Yeah. The Galactic Federation has turned on us.." Samus hesitated. "They could've killed me. Instead, they banished me from their territory, with the threat that they would attack if I was seen there again."

"And your friends" V-Syl glanced in the direction of Fox and Krystal. "They are not welcome there either?"

"No," Fox muttered, "we are apparently outlaws as well for sheltering Samus from them."

"So this group of Soldiers has followed you?" V-Syl nodded. "You three may, of course, stay here under our protection until you have eluded them. If the entire Federation fleet attacks, however, we will not be able to defeat them."

"Don't worry about that," Adam said. "There were no other Federation escort ships or frigates in the area. On top of that, this ship was traveling using an independent D-space drive instead of being loaded aboard a larger ship. This indicates that this group is a small commando force, operating independently from any major other operations. However, their interceptor is a fairly rare ship; it's only supplied to the most elite of the soldiers or hunters, so we know that whoever's tailing us is skilled at what they do." Adam frowned. "We may have reason to worry about this, but not about force. They may strike at any time. We must be prepared for a stealthy, sudden attack."

The Luminoth stared incredulously. "_Obviously, they've never seen a military genius before," _Samus mused. Only Adam could come to so many conclusions so quickly.

"Y-yes, Honored Adam…" V-Syl replied shakily. He seemed a bit intimidated. "We will station our best special operations forces in this area tonight. We will be prepared for the Pirate attack."

"Thank you, Guardian." Samus smiled.

"It is small compensation for your actions, Samus. I will show you to your rooms."

Samus was given a smaller room near the top of the fortress. Fox and Krystal shared a room on the floor right below. Samus was plagued by the thought of her own race trying to bring her to justice, but in each other's presence, Fox and Krystal both fell asleep almost instantly.


	6. Chapter 6: Mission Briefing

Falco Lombardi stepped into Docking Bay 5.

Half a year had passed since the Starfox team broke up, and Falco had spent most of that time working as a bounty hunter. He was now on the GFS Olympus, a starship belonging to the Galactic Federation, responding to a summons from the fleet commander, Admiral Castor Dane. Apparently he had something he wanted some bounty hunters to do for him, and Falco had no idea what it was.

In one of the rooms overlooking a conveyer belt where fighters were being hauled to the various hangers, several fleet troopers were milling around.

"The Pirate attacks must have the old man nervous. Looks like he's getting ready for a full scale invasion." "No joke," said another one. "Last time this many fighters were scrambled was during the Horus rebellion." "That was some nasty business," the first one said. "I have a feeling this'll be worse."

In the briefing room, Falco didn't see any other bounty hunters, realizing he was the only one who had answered the call.

"Looks like our bounty hunter is here now. Before we begin, let me introduce 242, the flagship's Aurora Unit." said Admiral Dane.

A hologram appeared above the holoprojector. It resembled a large, cyborg brain. Falco's eyes widened in disgust. "What the heck is that!? he exclaimed. "A fine welcome, Falco Lombardi," said the large brainlike entity.

"Anyway," said Admiral Dane after clearing his throat, this is our Aurora Unit."

"Huh, an organic supercomputer," said Falco. "_I wonder what Slippy would think._" he thought to himself. "That is correct Falco," said 242. "And we serve as the master control of the Federation's Network."

Dane resumed his lecture. "Four months ago, Bounty Hunter Samus Aran crashed the BSL research space station into the Planet SR388, destroying both of them, and all of the Federation's research. She must be brought to justice for her crimes. We'd also like you to spy on her for a bit before moving in for the kill. We need to know if she's up to anything else."

Falco took it all in. It would be a difficult mission for sure, but the pay sounded quite considerable.

"No offense, Dane," Falco began, "but this "Samus" could be anywhere in the galaxy. Where the heck am I supposed to start!?"

Dane Grinned. "We managed to place a tracker on Samus's ship. She is currently on the Dashan planet of Aether."

Falco curled his beak into a smirk. With no competition, the reward for this mission was as good as his! Making his way to his fighter ship, the Sky Claw, he jumped in and set a course for the Dasha System. Hopefully he hadn't wasted much time during the briefing….


	7. Chapter 7: History of Aether

Samus was never a religious, or karma-believing type. But, now, she was ready to believe the truth of "what goes around, comes around." _Especially _if it was referring to Samus herself. As she watched the clouds in the sky, she recalled the circumstances bringing her to this point.

Samus had _thought_ that fleeing to Aether, post-BSL Incident, she would be able to cover her tracks and avoid detection from the Galactic Federation. The Luminoth took her in immediately, their ruler, U-Mos promising all of their aid. According to them, the Luminoth owed it to her. Sure, the gifts and hiding places when the GF came sniffing around were really great, but it was starting to get on Samus' nerves that EVERY Luminoth walking past her would place his or her right claw over their chest and slightly bow their head towards her. It was driving her CRAZY.

Fox and Krystal, on the other hand, were living comfortably in their room at Sanctuary Fortress. Krystal would use her telepathy to sense the Federation's ships, and with their premature warning, she, Fox, and Samus could easily get to safe areas long before the ships arrived. It was a little bit repetitive, and got boring quickly, but it worked well. During a visit to the Great Temple, U-Mos had shared with Fox and Krystal the history behind Aether.

**_The Luminoth had no home planet to begin with. However, after meeting other races (including the Chozo) who had laid claim to a homeworld, they decided to do the same, eventually settling on Aether. Aether, as a rogue planet, had no sun; instead of sunlight, the planet depended on an energy source the Luminoth named "The Light of Aether". The Light was so powerful, it threatened the planet's well-being, and so the Luminoth built the Energy Controllers to channel it. The controllers used the Light to power a teleportation system and weather control grid, in addition to many other Luminoth creations._**

**_Ruin came in the form of a Leviathan from Phaaze, similar to the one that had struck Tallon IV before, except that the Phazon energy in this particular Leviathan was ten-fold compared to Tallon IV. The impact itself was devastating: Agon, which had been a vast plain, became a desert wasteland; and Torvus, which had been a lush forest, was flooded with water. In addition, the pure phazon energy in the leviathan itself caused the original Aether to split from a new world called Dark Aether, and the Light of Aether was split between the two planets. As the Luminoth lived on Aether, a new race called the Ing was born on Dark Aether, and began invading the Luminoth's world through portals._**

**_In response, the Luminoth developed technology such as the Light, Dark, and Annihilator beams, the Light and Dark suits, portal-opening devices, and light beacon technology that kept them safe from Dark Aether's caustic atmosphere. They also created the Energy Transfer Module, a device meant to take the energy from Dark Aether's energy controllers and restore it to Aether. Despite their efforts, the Ing pressed into Aether, taking over Agon, Torvus, and the Sanctuary Fortress one by one. The team that ventured into Dark Aether retrieved the keys to the Sky Temple, where the Emperor Ing resided, but was then split up and killed, one by one, and the Energy Transfer Module was stolen by the Ing._**

**_Having lost all hope, the remaining Luminoth locked themselves in suspended animation, hoping for a miracle to save them. The current Sentinel of the Luminoth, U-Mos, stayed awake to watch as the Ing approached. U-Mos soon met the bounty hunter Samus Aran, and asked for her help in saving the planet._**

**_What had first brought Samus to the planet was news of a missing GF starship; the G.F.S. Tyr, which had disappeared while in pursuit of a Space Pirate ship. The GF force had damaged the Space Pirate ship, forcing it to crash land onto the planet's surface. The GF ship followed, but was damaged by lightning when traveling through Aether's turbulent atmosphere, and made an emergency landing as well. Samus locates these GF troopers and learns this, but they had already been killed by Ing forces long before she arrived. She then learns more of these "Ing", and then sets out on a journey much larger than what she had originally planned: she was to destroy the Ing's dwelling, Dark Aether, by returning "the Light of Aether" back to its rightful place in order to restore the planet to a more stable state._**

After the tale was completed, Fox's head was spinning. "What's wrong, Fox?" Krystal asked. Fox looked at Krystal and replied "I just… feel completely out of my element here. All this talk about ancient races, and magic keys, and mysterious energies… not to mention a shadowy verson of the world," Fox shook his head again and put a hand up to his temple. "I don't know; I just feel like I've been plucked out of the normal universe and dropped into some fantasy adventure game, like the ones Slippy likes to play so much." Krystal knew Fox was confused, she had understood it a bit better, hailing from a more primitive world, where elements like magic were common.

Today, however, it was different, Krystal was searching through the space around Aether with her mind, and she sensed two small, one-man fighters landing near the great temple. one of the Pilot's brain patterns felt very….familiar to her.


	8. Chapter 8: Rundas

Phrygisian Bounty Hunter Rundas looked out the window of his starship as he descended to the planet Aether. He had long limbs that end in three claws. His head was an oval shape and two small dots resembling eyes could be seen. He had a small torso with his long legs ending in flat feet.

Sighing, Rundas reflected on his past with the so-called "outlaw" of the Galactic Federation, Samus Aran. He and Samus had been comrades during the final years of the Phazon war, but fearing crippling injuries, he had entered the battle of Norion by temporarily transferring his mind into an artificial body cloned from his own.

His prediction had been eerily accurate, as a shadowy Doppelganger of Samus had attacked them and the other two hunters, Tech savvy hunter, Ghor, and the Shape-shifter, Gandrayda. After the battle, all four hunters had been fitted with Phazon enhancement devices, and sent to the different planets in federation space. Rundas himself had been sent to the Multiclimate planet of Bryyo. There he had been corrupted by his phazon enhancements and attacked Samus.

When Samus temporarily broke the Phazon's hold over him, Rundas regained control long enough to force his corporeal clone to commit suicide. His body had promptly been absorbed by Samus's doppelgänger, Dark Samus.

With the death of Dark Samus and Phaaze's destruction, Rundas's mind was released from captivity within her, and promptly returned to his original body. For many years, Rundas had been in hiding on the Icy planet Arcterra, in the Tetra Galaxy. Upon hearing of Samus's newly acquired Outlaw status, he had decided to investigate, and tracked her ship to the Dasha Planet of Aether, unaware another bounty hunter, Falco Lombardi, was doing the same. Finishing his contemplation, Rundas opened his ship's hatch and leaped out, Ice-surfing his way towards Samus's signal...


End file.
